SEAL BEACH : Commission Rejects Pizza Parlor Plan

Bowing to the protests of residents, the Planning Commission this week rejected a proposal to transform a vacant 68-year-old building into a pizza parlor.

The 3-2 vote came after the commission heard from supporters and opponents of the plan at a commission meeting Wednesday night.

The Bichsel Co., which seeks to refurbish one of the oldest buildings on Main Street into a branch of the B.J.’s Chicago Pizzeria chain, could appeal the commission ruling to the City Council.

Residents who live near Main Street opposed the plan, fearing it will worsen parking problems and add what they described as another “undesirable” alcohol-selling establishment on Main Street.

They expressed relief that the commission majority agreed with them.

“I think it is good that this wasn’t approved in the way it was presented,” said community activist Charles Antos. “I think it’s now incumbent on the city and the property owner to look at the parking issue” and address the other concerns expressed by residents, he said.

Bichsel planned to restore the building’s original brick facade and build a sidewalk patio for the restaurant, which would serve Italian food as well as beer and wine.

Under city codes, the restaurant would have been required to provide 26 parking places. But the building only has three spaces. The company proposed making up for the shortage by paying the city $100 a year for each of the 23 missing parking spaces.

Antos and other residents criticized that idea, saying that it would worsen the area’s parking shortage, because the city has no plans to use the money to build new parking lots.

Bichsel officials defended their plans, saying that the pizza parlor would not constitute a new use for the building because it would replace a Mexican restaurant that closed two years ago.

Company officials also said it was unfair to require 26 parking places because the property was designed to accommodate far fewer cars.

Planning Commissioner Mary Law, who voted to approve the project, said she didn’t think the pizza parlor would harm the area.

“The property owner has had (the building) vacant for two years, and I don’t feel that’s fair. He’s had no return on his money,” Law said. “The people who have objected to the pizza parlor . . . aren’t out there finding this man a tenant.”

As for concerns about alcohol sales at the restaurant, Law said: “These days you can’t run a restaurant without (offering) beer or wine.”